The present invention relates to a game machine that generates game images and game sounds, and an information storage medium.
In a game machine, the presentation of a game by game sounds such as voices, game music, and effects sounds plays a large role in increasing the interest, feeling of excitement, and realism of the game, so it is a subject of technical concern to determine how to present such game sounds effectively.
However, when a character that appears in the game is to sound a voice in a conventional game machine, waveform data of a voice is previously provided and it is always reproduced in the same manner. In other words, the pitch, volume, and tone of voices sounded by a character are always the same. For that reason, it is not possible to give the player a feeling of tension and to make the player excite by varying the voices of a character, and the effect of the game through game sounds is a bit unsatisfactory.
Note that prior-art techniques have been disclosed for varying voices and the like of characters in a stepwise manner, based on parameters, such as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-33830, for example.
However, these prior-art techniques are directed towards single-player game machines, not multi-player game machines. There is therefore absolutely no reference to the concept of varying voices in accordance with the magnitude of a difference between status parameters of a character and another character.
These prior-art techniques also do not disclose the concept of increasing the pitch and volume of voices as the final game stage approaches, nor the concept of varying the voices when a given game stage is passed.
Furthermore, these prior-art techniques relate only to a simple way of switching the previously prepared voices of a child, for example, to the previously prepared voices of an adult, for example, and do not relate to the varying of the basic frequency and volume of voices from default values. They therefore have a problem in that it is not possible to vary the pitch and volume of voices subtly.
In addition, these prior-art techniques do disclose the concept of varying the voices of a character in accordance with a personality parameter of the character (changing a voice of a character with a large seriousness parameter to a serious-sounding voice and the voice of a character with a large mischievousness parameter to a mischievous-sounding voice), but they teach absolutely nothing about the concept of varying the pitch, volume, and tone of voices of a character in accordance with a factor such as the magnitude of a physical strength parameter of the character.
The present invention was devised in the light of the above described technical problems and has as an objective thereof the provision of a game machine and an information storage medium that make it possible to intensify the dramatic effect of a game by the voices sounded by a character.
In order to solve the above described technical problems, an aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of the character and the other character increases.
With this aspect of the invention, a status parameter such as a physical strength parameter may reflect by voices sounded by a character. This makes it possible to convey a change in the status of a character by varying the voices sounded by the character. As a result, the dramatic effect of the game can be greatly improved over a case in which status parameters are simply displayed as numerical values on the screen. It also makes it possible to increase the diversity of the game sounds that are represented.
With this aspect of the invention, it is possible to represent a state in which the character is nervous, when the status parameter of another character is greater than that of the player""s character. Not only does this further increase the realism of the game, it also makes it possible to further intensify the feelings of excitement and tension of the character.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a magnitude of remaining play time; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.
With this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make voices sounded by a character is reflected by the magnitude of remaining play time. It is therefore possible to convey to the player that the time limit is close to expiring, using the voices sounded by the character, and thus greatly improve the dramatic effect of the game and the diversity of game sounds that can be represented.
In this aspect of the present invention, the pitch of the voice sounded by the character may be raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character may be increased as the remaining play time decreases. This makes it possible to intensify the feelings of excitement and tension of the player as the time limit approaches, further increasing the interest of the game.
Furthermore, in this aspect of the present invention, at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character may be varied after the remaining play time has reached a given value. This makes it possible to convey to the player that the end of the game is close and the time limit is expiring, in a more effective manner.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character, wherein the pitch of the voice sounded by the character is raised and the volume of the voice sounded by the character is increased as a sequence of game stages through which a game is played approaches a final game stage.
With this aspect of the invention, the progressing degree through game stages can be reflected in voices sounded by the character. This makes it possible to use the voices sounded by the character to convey to the player that the final game stage is approaching, and thus greatly improve the dramatic effect of the game and the diversity of game sounds that can be represented.
Furthermore, this aspect of the invention makes it possible to intensify the feelings of excitement and tension of the player as the final game stage approaches, thus further increasing the interest of the game.
In this aspect of the present invention, at least one of the pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character may be varied when a sequence of game stages through which a game is played has passed a given game stage. This makes it possible to convey the approach of the final game stage to the player in a more effective manner.
A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a number of wins of a player and a magnitude of a difference between numbers of wins of the player and another player; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.
With this aspect of the invention, the number of wins of the player can be reflected in voices sounded by the character. This makes it possible to reflect the superiority and inferiority in game skills of the players in the characters manipulated by the players, and thus greatly improve the dramatic effect of the game and the diversity of game sounds that can be represented.
In this aspect of the present invention, the pitch or volume of a voice sounded by a character may be increased as the difference between the numbers of wins of the player and the other player increases. This makes it possible to increase the realism of a game by enabling the expression of a state in which a character is nervous at the prospect of fighting a superior player.
Furthermore, in this aspect of the present invention, an increase in the pitch of a voice sounded by the character may be a whole tone or less. This makes it possible to act on the subconsciousness of the player and thus increase the player""s feelings of excitement and tension.
A yet further aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game, from a default value, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a status parameter of the character and a magnitude of a difference between status parameters of the character and another character; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character. In yet another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the basic frequency and volume of a voice sounded by a character that appears in the game may be varied from a default value, in accordance with a progressing degree through game stages.
With this aspect of the invention, the basic frequency and volume of voices are varied from default values in accordance with the magnitude of a status parameter, the magnitude of the difference between the status parameters of this character and another character, or the progressing degree through the game stages (in other words, effects can be applied on one voice to vary the voice, by way of example). It is therefore possible to vary the pitch and volume of voices, not in a large manner but subtly. As a result, it is possible to act on the subconsciousness of the player and thus increase the player""s feelings of excitement and tension, while avoiding a state which seems unnatural to the player.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for generating a game image and a game sound, the game machine comprising: means for varying at least one of a pitch, volume, and tone of a voice sounded by a character that appears in a game, in accordance with at least one of a magnitude of a physical strength parameter of a character and a magnitude of a difference between physical strength parameters of the character and another character; means for generating a game image that comprises an image of the character; and means for generating a game sound that comprises a voice of the character.
With this aspect of the present invention, the magnitude of a physical strength parameter or the magnitude of the difference between physical strength parameters of a character and another character can be conveyed to the player by variations in the pitch, volume, or tone of voices of the character. It is therefore possible to act on the subconsciousness of the player to convey the magnitude of the current physical strength parameter of the character, while the player is immersed in the game, with eyes fixed on the motions of the character, without having to pay attentions to visual clues such as a physical strength gauge. This makes it possible to induce feelings of excitement and tension in the player that have not been possible up to now.